Act against officers who clamped tyre, woman tells Penang council

The woman whose car tyre was clamped by local council enforcers for parking at a lot marked for the disabled, today urged for action to be taken against two officers involved in the incident.

Self-employed Ooi Chee Lin, 40, told a press conference at the MCA headquarters at Jalan Transfer in George Town, Penang, that at the time of the incident yesterday afternoon, she was headed to the banks along Macalister Road, with her wheelchair-bound mother.

It was then Penang Island City Council (MBPP) officers clamped her car tyre, as the vehicle did not carry a sticker for the disabled, despite being parked at such a lot.

According to Ooi, who claimed to be a victim of the recent floods, the officers refused to unclamp the tyre, although she turned up with her mother, who was in a wheelchair.

The clamp was only taken off when she paid the RM50 fine.

Her tiff with the officers was captured in a video and uploaded on YouTube. 

Malaysiakini is trying to contact MBPP for comments.

When contacted later, Ooi told Malaysiakini that she wants the MBPP to cancel the summons issued to her by the officers. 

"I also want the OKU (disabled) car sticker, but when I went to fill up the forms, they told me to get a letter from my mother's doctor (to certify the disability). 

"I think this is really unnecessary, it is already so much hassle to fill up the forms."

Besides, Ooi also wants the MBPP to take disciplinary action against the two officers, whom she claimed was "rude and lacked emotional intelligence". 

"They took photos of the bank security guard who came to our aid. 

"I do not want the kind guard to get into trouble with the authorities. I hope MBPP Mayor Maimunah Shariff will look into this as well," she said.

'I fear for my safety'

Meanwhile, the guard, M Ravindran, 55, told Malaysiakini that he now fears for his safety as an individual approached him at his workplace in Jalan Macalister today, and snapped his photograph. 

"I don't know if he is from MBPP, but I am quite concerned for my safety. 

"I live quite far away, and travel home from work on a motorcycle, I'm afraid something might happen to me," he said. 

He recalled how for 40 minutes, Ooi pleaded with the officers to unclamp her car, while her elderly mother waited under the scorching sun. 

"Ooi and her mother are our bank customers, so I approached them to help. 

"I asked the officers if they would allow their mothers to stand for 40 minutes under the sun. They were unhappy and took my photo with their mobile phones," he related. - Mkini